Ethernet v Wi-Fi.

whattochoose

I'm thinking about replacing my Lenovo laptop, which I've had a number of years. Previously, I possessed a Dell. The thing both had in common was that I connected them to the internet via an Ethernet cable.
I would very much like to buy another Lenovo model, because I've mostly found the brand to be excellent. However, I've noticed when browsing their models, the majority no longer offer the Ethernet connection facility, instead requiring Wi-Fi connection.
I've been led to believe in the past that Ethernet connection is safer and more reliable than other routes?
Can members advise if this is the case, or whether nowadays there isn't anything to choose between different internet connections?
Thank you.

elsien

You can buy a gizmo to adapt to Ethernet. 

I’ve had to do that for my work Lenovo because the WiFi was too hit and miss for teams calls. 

https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/accessories-and-monitors/cables-and-adapters/adapters/CABLE-BO-TP-Ethernet-Ext-Cable/p/4X90F84315?cid=gb:sem%7Cse%7Cgoogle%7Cg-uk-shopping-pla-brand-accessories%7C%7C%7C%7C12612262714%7C119939511597%7Cpla-778981222779%7Cshopping%7Cshopping&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrtTb9OHz7wIVA7TtCh2HOQbEEAQYBCABEgL5M_D_BwE

Rodders53

Not all Lenovo are devoid of RJ45 connections. Check the detailed specs of potentials?  


But why replace?  SSD instead of HDD and perhaps extra RAM may give the old one a new lease of life?

Modern wireless connections are often fine with a decent router or mesh wifi system in a home.  But a cable connected unit is helpful when fault finding a broadband issue.

The_Fat_Controller

Ethernet, unlike WiFi, is not subject to interference from your neighbours and will also be much more stable as it's a physical connection.

I have a USB to LAN adapter and it works well, mine came along with my LG Gram laptop so cannot recommend a particular brand.

If you have incoming internet speeds above 100 Mbps, make sure the LAN adapter or laptop itself has Gigabit (1000 Mbps)  capability.

[Deleted User]

whattochoose said:

I'm thinking about replacing my Lenovo laptop, which I've had a number of years. Previously, I possessed a Dell. The thing both had in common was that I connected them to the internet via an Ethernet cable.
I would very much like to buy another Lenovo model, because I've mostly found the brand to be excellent. However, I've noticed when browsing their models, the majority no longer offer the Ethernet connection facility, instead requiring Wi-Fi connection.
I've been led to believe in the past that Ethernet connection is safer and more reliable than other routes?
Can members advise if this is the case, or whether nowadays there isn't anything to choose between different internet connections?
Thank you.

Yes ethernet is usually preferred over wifi where possible but for portable devices such as laptops then you don't really want to be tethered to a cable so wifi benefits outweigh some slight performance disadvantages.

All depends on how good the wifi signal is in the places where you intend to use your laptop and your broadband speed. Modern 802.11ac/ax wifi usually exceeds the speed of the broadband for most use cases. Try your current laptop on Wifi and ethernet and compare the speed tests to see what you get.

Also depends on what you use the laptop for as to whether wifi will be good enough - gamers for example would insist on Ethernet to get the minimum lag or somebody doing large file transfers locally, but for most use cases, wifi is good enough.

You also say safer - well modern WPA2/3 wifi is very secure and combined with most internet traffic being encrypted anyway, I wouldn't worry about it unless you work for MI5 or organised crime.